Two Days in Nelson

After arriving at the Nelson Airport, my travel partner, Mary Kay, and I were greeted by her son Kyle while my daughter, Sierra, was still at work. Kyle loaded us and our baggage into “the Bongo”- a charming little van that served as Sierra and Kyle's transportation as well as their “home” during their first few weeks in New Zealand. Fortunately, by the time Mary Kay and I arrived for our visit, Sierra and Kyle had moved into a relatively spacious one bedroom flat which they were generous enough to share with us. While we slept in the flat, they slept in the Bongo. We enjoyed our “luxury” accommodations for only two nights before heading heading out for a backpacking trip in Able Tasman National Park.

Visiting Nelson

During our first two days in Nelson, Mary Kay and I caught up on our much needed rest while Sierra and Kyle worked. When they were working, Sierra and Kyle showed us around town. We enjoyed dinner at Taste of Delhi then walked the beautiful grounds at Nelson Cathedral. The following day, after a good night's sleep, Mary Kay and I entertained ourselves with a long walk to Isel Park while Sierra and Kyle finished their last day of work before joining us on vacation.

Exploring Isel Park

By the time Mary Kay and I arrived at Isel Park, we were hungry and happy to see The Garden Window open for lunch. After a quick snack of “toasties”, we were ready to explore. We followed the trail for the Tree Walk. Trying our best to identify the variety of native and imported plants, we started with the first one on the list, a "large Southern Magnolia". After looking high and wandering aimlessly, we were stumped by the ellusive magnlia tree. Eventually a docent at the museum explained that it had been recently cut down due to disease. So, the tree that stumped us is now just a really big stump! Even without the large Southern Magnoliar tree, the park was beautiful. We ended our visit to Isel Park with a self-guided tour of Isel House, the focal point of the park.

Soon after Mary Kay and I started our walk back to Sierra and Kyles’s house, Sierra picked us up in the Bongo on her way back from a nearby school where she was teaching volleyball. We made a quick stop to stroll along Tahunanui Beach before returning to the house. Sierra was off again, this time to play volleyball instead of teach.

Watching Volleyball

We caught up with Sierra that evening at Saxton Stadium and I thoroughly enjoyed watching her play volleyball for the first time since she graduated from college. When the match was over, Sierra and Kyle were both officially on vacation and we packed up for backpacking in Able Tasman National Park.

You can view the Wheels Up for New Zealand 2026 trip page to see all my blog posts, photos, and Wanderlog info.